Best Online Education Programs in Washington, DC (2026)

Washington, District of Columbia has 5 accredited schools offering education programs, with tuition ranging from $10,314 to $27,536 per year for indexed programs. Washington has a population of about 672,079. Median household income is $106,287 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 63.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, the top-earning education-related role is Education Administrator, K-12 at a median $134,490 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Education Schools to Washington

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer education programs near Washington. Distances are calculated from Washington city center.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Washington. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Washington Adventist University

Takoma Park, MD 5.7 miles from Washington BOC Score55.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Marymount University

Arlington, VA 6.0 miles from Washington BOC Score61.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

University of Maryland-College Park

College Park, MD 6.8 miles from Washington BOC Score89.1
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

Loyola University Maryland

Baltimore, MD 37.1 miles from Washington BOC Score74.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

Delaware State University

Dover, DE 81.5 miles from Washington BOC Score48.1
Published tuition$10,314 - $27,536
Online programsYes

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all District of Columbia schools on the District of Columbia education page.


Education Wages Near Washington

Washington is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (BLS area code 47900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to District of Columbia statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Secondary School Teacher$80,300Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$73,737
Elementary School Teacher$79,470Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$72,975
Middle School Teacher$77,350Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$71,028
Education Teacher, Postsecondary$78,820Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$72,378
Education Administrator, K-12$134,490Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$123,499
Education Administrator, Postsecondary$125,460Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$115,207
Tutor$48,730Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$44,747
Educational and Career Counselor$77,420Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$71,093

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Washington at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population672,079Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$106,287Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+63.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)108.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Education-related employment in District of Columbia County44,874 workers, 1,560 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited education schools are near Washington, DC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering education programs near Washington. The closest is Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, MD (5.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Delaware State University (81.5 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying education roles near Washington?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying education-related roles near Washington are: Education Administrator, K-12 ($134,490), Education Administrator, Postsecondary ($125,460), Secondary School Teacher ($80,300). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with District of Columbia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Alexandria instead of Washington?

Alexandria, VA is 7.0 miles from Washington and has its own set of local education programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Washington an affordable place to study education?

Washington’s median household income of $106,287 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Washington while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and District of Columbia public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Education Programs

Other Programs Available in Washington

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Washington:

Data verified: June 11, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.